WASHINGTON - Suddenly, like the fierce "blue northers" that sweep across Texas each autumn, the political winds have turned bleaker for Republicans - and President Bush's private mood has blackened accordingly. Just two weeks ago, as gasoline prices plummeted and his tough-talking terror counterattack began moving poll numbers his way, Bush turned bullish on the November elections. "He's on scent and he's driving hard," a longtime political confidant of the President reported early this month. "He's got the microphone and thinks he's controlling the political debate."

Now, however, friends, aides and close political allies tell the Daily News Bush is furious with his own side for helping create a political downdraft that has blunted his momentum and endangered GOP prospects for keeping control of Congress next month. Some of his anger is directed at former aides who helped Watergate journalist Bob Woodward paint a lurid portrait of a dysfunctional, chaotic administration in his new book, "State of Denial." In the obsessively private Bush clan, talking out of school is the ultimate act of disloyalty, and Bush feels betrayed from within.

"He's ticked off big-time," said a well-informed source, "even if what they said was the truth."

Moreover, Bush's personal disgust with the GOP sex scandal involving ex-Rep. Mark Foley has exacerbated his already-strained relations with congressional Republicans. While publicly embracing House Speaker Dennis Hastert, sources close to Bush say he thinks Hastert and other GOP House leaders have bungled their handling of the Foley affair and look like they've been engaged in a coverup. Bush has complained, these sources said, that the scandal torpedoes furious GOP efforts to reenergize a dispirited political base - especially Christian conservatives. "There's steam coming out of his ears over the Foley thing," someone who talks to the President regularly said. "The base is starting to get turned off again." For all the misery, Bush remains defiantly resolute. He will campaign relentlessly in the next month and has told friends he's determined to prove his Democratic and media enemies wrong on Election Day.

In the obsessively private Bush clan, talking out of school is the ultimate act of disloyalty, and Bush feels betrayed from within.

The f**cking Bush Family is all about the f**cking Bush Family. Back when Jr. was campaigning for the 2000 election, the corporate media was trumpeting the "loyalty" the Bush Family expects from its minions. "Loyalty?" More like, you do what we f**cking say, and you might live peaceably. But don't ever expect loyalty from the Bush Family. I'll never understand how anyone in this country could possibly believe a self-important, arrogant, selfish family could ever serve with the country's best interests at heart.

I love it when a Republican blames the messenger for their horrors. It's the fault of Bob Woodward for reporting what "disloyal" employees said. If Bush did not lie to the country and cause the death of thousands, he would not be in this predicament. Why doesn't this "ownership society" piece of $%&* own the debacle that he has caused our country and our world?

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